Lubricating apparatus



Feb. 13, 194. w W 2,190,581

LUBRICATING APPARATUS Filed May 4', 1957 4 'Sheets-Sheet' 1 INVENTOR. T Wddeb Mneman.

ATTORNEY.

Feb. 1940- w. H. WINEMAN LUBRICATING APPARATUS Filed May 4, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet, 2 V

' INVENTOR. Pl/ZzdeH Mrzeznem A A- W A TTORNEY.

Feb. 13, 1940. w w N 2,190,581

' LUBRICATING APPARATUS Filed May 4, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet s I INVEN TOR.

Wzdefl M'neman BY A; A- W.

ATTORNEY.

Fe). 13, 1940. I w wlNEMAN I I 2,190,581

uanlcnru APPARATUS Filed May 4, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

Wadefl 1 1 6320272012. ,4 mm,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 13, 1 940 UNITED STATES rArsNr i-OFFICE n n ,190,581 a p LUBRIOATING, APPARATUS Wade H. Wineman, Michigan City, ;Ind.-,-assignor to Sullivan Machinery 'Gompany, a corpora- --tion of Massachusetts Application May 4, weasel-a1. No. 140,6

- 9 Claims.

if :My invention relates to lubricating apparatus, 1 and, more particularlyQto an improved lub ricator drive, and still more particularly, in certain asa rpects, to. an .improved pressure fluid actuated i? lubricator drive maintained in operation in Syria. appear. n

'cichronism with the motor or other deviceto which In the accompanying'drawings', in, which for itsupplies lubricant in an: improved manner. purposes of.illustration one. embodiment and a In certain oil producing territory, it has been :modiflcation oiiny invention are shown, i

- found necessary to provide'for the positive rais .Fig. lis asideelevational, 'ew of an oil pump-- 10 'sure hasbeen reduced to such a point as vto be outof-doors,,and summer and winter, and in,

territory which in summer is hot, and in winter,

10.; ing of the oil which may remain in large quanti-, ties in the formationafter the formation presinadequate to raise the oil from thesands. Inf, the application of pressure-fluid-operated motors to .this end, it has been found necessary to pro-.1 vide especially troubleprooi devices to serve as iadjuncts tothe improved motors which have also cold, and where there are high winds with danger of grit 1 and sand attaining access to-lubricated areas, it is important that a very efficient lubria 1: cator and lubrication system be provided; and- 25 my invention, while of general application in many of its, aspects, was developed particularly to meet the demands of such conditions.

i the feature of maintaining adequately warm, and

long motor cylinders, and the concurrent control of the lubricator drive and the distributing 'valve mechanism of the lubricated motor, as well n a force feed lubricaton chamber,,,with parts as certain particular featuresof lubricant drive per se.

bodiments and in certain of its aspects is adapted to extremely wide use.

Itis an object of my invention improved lubricating I apparatus. Another, object of my invention is to provide an improved lubri- 50 cant pump. .A further object of my invention is to provide an improved force feed lubricator drive. 'Stillanother object of my invention is c to provide an improved lubricatingapparatus for a motor of the expansible chamber type in proved lubricator and lubricator drive in the. particular problems of oil well pumping, I will.

It therefore includes in different aspects thereof,

so sufiiciently fluid, the lubricant in cold weather, the eifective lubrication of the walls of relatively Certain of the aspects mentioned are.v covered in my copending parent application, Ser. No. 59,428, of which this present application is preciated that the invention in its various em to provide an lubricant delivery thereto. In view of the origin of my invention in thesolution of certain of the problems of pumping oil, the invention is shown which, through the provision of an improved ,ing system in which an,illustrative embodiment Fig. .5 is. a. vertical sectional view through a portion of a distributing valve mechanism. of the, motor shown in. Fig. 2, and the lubricant pump drive proper.

.lubricator drive.

lubricat0r drive, thefiuiddistribution mechanism of the invention herein claimed is incorporated.v Fig. 2 shows an expan'sible chamber motor, partiallyinside elevation andpartially in vertical section, with which the improved lubricating means is, associated andunder the control. oi whosedistributing mechanism the lubricator is actuated. 9 Y Fig.3..is .airagmentary vertical section showing a distributing valve actuating means forming --a portion of themotor mentioned.

,Fig. 4 is a view partially inelevation and par ",tially in section, showingthe detailsof om device through which the .lubricator per se may deliverlubricant.

Fig. 6- is a fragmentaryviewshowing a portion of the lubricant. pump drivein a different position.

, Fig. 7 is a view showing;a,modified lubricant pump drive. 1

Fig; 8. is alongitudinal vertical section through l omitted.

Fig.- 9 is a view partially in end elevation and partially in vertical transverse section, through the force feed lubricatorudrivenby my improved 5 I As above noted, certain of, the aspects of my -.invention which will be made the subject matter of claims in this, application may be embodied in conjunction ,with a wide range of; equipment, for example, a compressor, a double' acting ex5 pansible chamber motor, a vacuum pump, or, indeed, nearly. any apparatus; requiring timed here incorporated in a-pumping'system for oil wells. In Figs. 5,130 9 the structure of the lubricator per so will be observed'to be disclosed in.

. detail, with a modified drive also illustrated; and in Fig. 2 the source of the actuating fluid for the fore mentioned. Piston I! has a piston rod [8 provided with an inlet valve mechanism 6 and an exhaust valve mechanism 1. Operating fluid is supplied through a connection 8, first to a preheater 9, and then through a pipe l0 under control of a stop valve Hand a valve chest [2. After its use in the motor, the fluid is exhausted under the control of the exhaust valve mechanism 7, past the-stop valve l3, and through a line M in which a substantial back pressure-is maintained, and is returned to the intake side of the compressor which raises the pressure of the operating fluid again to the necessary degree.

Motor 5 has'a cylinder l5'whose bore [6 contains a pis- "ton ll. Piston ll is reciprocable under the con- ,trol of the distributing valve mechanism heretocOnnected at It to a pump rod line 2!]. The latter operates a suitable pump located in a well. Oil raised by the pump is delivered through a line 2| to any desired place, and casing head gas may be led awayfrom the well by a suitable connection 22.

The motor' distributing valve mechanism will be described in no more detail than seems advisable in order that the actuation of the lubricator per se may be made clear. Valve chest I2 comprises a chamber 25 to which operating fluid is delivered under a pressure of two or three hundred pounds persquare inch, say, and at a temperature of some hundreds of degrees, Fahrenheit. Accordingly, thewalls of the valve chest are hot, which enables the maintaining of the lubricant free-flowing, even in cold weather, in view of the mounting of the lubricator in the hereinafter described adjacency to the hot valve chest. A port 26 surrounded by a suitable valve seat 2'! leads to an admission passage 28 opening into the bottom of the cylinder bore It. An admission valve 29 is adapted to cooperate with the seat 2'! in controlling admission and cut-off. The

valve is governed in its movements by a differential piston mechanism 30 comprising a lower vented to atmosphere.

the passage 26 through the valve seat, and an upper, somewhat enlarged head 32. These heads move in bores 33, 34 respectively, and the space below the head 32 in the bore 34 is constantly When the admission valve 29 is closed, it is subjected to the cylinder pressure in a direction tending to open it, and when it isopened, it is also subjected to the same pressure substantially that exists in the cylinder. The upper end of the bore 34 is adapted to be connected with the bore of the cylinder through passages formed by pipes 37, 38, the former opening into the cylinder bore in such a position that its mouth is uncovered by the downwardly moving piston as the latter nears the bottom of its stroke, while passage 38 opens into the bore of the cylinder at a point which is uncovered by the lower end of the upwardly moving piston as the latter nearsthe desired top limit of its stroke.

Through suitable means-indicated on Figs. 1

connection 33 with the cylinder may be varied.

Reference may be had to my already granted Patent No. 2,004,146 for the further disclosure of the device 40. Communication of the connection 38 with the top of the bore 34 is controlled by a ported valve 42 which is arranged to be moved to open position by a plunger 43 engageable by the head 32 when the admission valve 29 is in full open position. When the head 32 is in the position corresponding to the closed position of the valve 29, the valve 42 is seated and prevents communication between the space at the top of the bore 34 through the connection 38 and the cylinder bore. The communication of the cylinder bore by way of passage 37 with the space within the bore 34 is controlled by valve 45, the latter resiliently supported by the head 32 and cooperating with a valve seat 46 surrounding the mouth or lower end of the passage 31. This construction makes communication through the passage 31 between the cylinder bore and the space above the head 32 within the space 34 possible only when the valve 29 is moved away from its full open position.

The exhaust valve 50 which controls communicationbetween the lower end of the cylinder bore through a passage 5i and through a valve seat 52 with the exhaust chamber, is controlled by somewhat similar mechanism to that described with respect to the admission valve, and corresponding parts are provided with corresponding numbers, save that the parts of the operating mechanism for the exhaust valve bear primed numbers. It should be noted that the exhaust valve 50 is not pinned to its control piston 3|, but simply has its stem in end abutment with and guided by the piston 3 l as shown in Figure 3; and the exhaust valve is caused to follow said piston in the upward movements of the latter by a spring 59 hereinafter more fully described.

The connection 37' is adapted to communicate with the bore of thecylinder at a point above the point of communication of the cylinder bore with connection 31, and mechanism 54 is provided to permit a variation in the locus of communication. For further details with respect to the mechanism 54, reference may be had to my Patent 2,004,146 above mentioned. Connection 38' opens into' the cylinder bore at a point above the point of normal communication of the connection 38. Mechanisms diagrammatically illustrated only and designated 58 and 5'! respectively, may be provided after the manner of the construction shown in Letters Patent 2,004,146 above deferred to, for the purpose of efiecting communication of passages 31, 37 at the same point, if desired, with the cylinder bore, and communication of passages 38, 38 at the same point, if desired, with the cylinder bore. The exhaust valve will be noted to have a spring 59 arranged beneath the same, and it is this spring which causes the exhaust valve 553 normally to occupy the position with respect to the piston device 30 Which is indicated in Fig. 3. It may further be noted that the upper end of the cylinder bore I6 is suitably vented, herein by means of a vent port 60, spaced substantially above the uppermost limit of normal piston travel.

While a somewhat more detailed description of the mode of operation of the motor is desirable and will be given, it maybe noted that this motor is provided with independent admission and exhaust valves, each of which has associated therewith means for exerting thereon pressures acting in opposite directions by which themovements of the valve are controlled; including pressure area-that at the'top of the piston mechanisms an, a respec tively subjected. ts the "workin surface 62 formed on the'adrnission valve chain ber,whereby the lubricant, 63 within'the cham- 1 pressure in thecylinder to effect valvemovement in one direction (closing movementjor the adr'nission valve andopening movement for the exhaust valve) and connected with the vented; end of the cylinder, i. e. the upper endfthereof, during reverse valve movement, and having associated 7 piston ll upon its upward traverse. Asthe piscylinder pressure to the upper endof thebore;

therewith connecting means (the passages 31, 31

l and 38, 38') for transmitting working cylinder pressure thereto andv'enting such pressure therefrom including controlled. connections respectively with the space Withinthe cylinder towards opposite ends of the latter.

In the position of the parts shown in Fig: 2 and].

with the valve H open, motive fiuid'enters the lower end of the cylinder bore ra es the valvev 29, and through the passage 28,; and starts the ton moves upward, it uncovers the cylinder end of the connection 3?, but this, iswithout effect upon the valve 29 because the valve 45 is resting upon the seat Q6 and prevents access ofworking or chamber 3%. In like manner, when the piston moves above the cylinder endof the connec tion 3?, nothing happensbecause the valve 45' is seated upon its seat 46. When, however, the

piston uncovers with its lower edge, that is, passes i above, thepoint of communication of. the con-.

nection 38 with; the cylinder bore, fluid flows past the ported, valve 32 and enters the chamber 34 and acts upon the piston 32 and starts the latter -to moving downwardly. Before sufiicient downward movement of piston 30 can take place to permit closure of valve 42, valve #5 is withdrawn from its seat 15 and the cylinder'pressure then passes through connection 31 and forces the pis-. ton 3El-32 downwardly and closesthe admission valve 29. Shortlythereafter the exhaustvalve is moved to open position in a similar manner. This results in release occurring, and the piston llwill be moved downward by its weight and the weight of the supported pa'rts against the back pressure in the pipe I4. During a considerable portion of the downward travel of the motor piston, the positionof the valves 29 and 59 remains unchanged, for notwithstanding the fact that the connection 38 is placed quite soon in communication with the vented end of the cylinder, and the connection 38 either shortly after wards or concurrently with venting of the con-. nection 38,;no,fluid can escape through the connections 38, 38 for in the depressed positions of the pistons 3b, 30 the ,valves 42, 42' are seated and prevent escape of fluid from the bores 34, 34.

When the upper end of the piston passes belowthe connections 37', 31, the exhaust valve will be permitted to close and the admission valve permitted to open because the pressure which has been hold- 1 ing them in their former positions will be vented through the valve seats 46', .46,

and the connections 3?, 31, and the upper end of the cylinder and the Vent port 6t, and the parts will be: restored to the relative positions shown in Fig. 2.

This cycle of operation which has been described will then be repeated, and so long as fluid is supplied and there isno derangement of the mechanism from abnormal causes, the motor will operate upon the working cycle explained.

With this explanation and description of the setting of the lubricator, this may now be described in detail. Referring more particularly at this time to Figs. 5 to 9 ,ofthe drawings, it will be observed that a force-feedlubricator, gen

erally designated BI, is secured against a heated vice which'will shortly Y livery lins not shown, will be led from other ber 64 of the lubricator istmaintained hot and free-flowing. It will be understood that if the device is operated with steam asthe motive fluid,

the steam will provide the heat which the preheatingmakesavailable in the case of the air operated pump motor. 'The chamber 64 is partially dividd by} a partition 65 into a space 665,

in which an actuating mechanismis'located, and

a larger space 66 in whichflthe severalpumps are arranged. Thelubricator may comprise a number of ihdividual'pumps each distributing to a separate point of usepbut for simplicity only onepurnp has been shown; this being illustrated in Fig. 9. A pump cylinder 6'! contains a plunger 68 moving into a space 69 between afsu'ction 'checkyalve it; and a delivery check valve ii; A second check valve 12 controls the suction con.-, nection 13, while a standing valve M is arranged above the delivery check valve Hand prevents reflow through a delivery line ivhich"may"be led to a desired point of delivery; Herein this particular delivery lineleads to a lubricating de be described. Qther dei pumpsfnot illustrated,v but actuated by eccentrics 16 carried on an eccentric; shaft Tl ivithin thespace M Of course, one of the eccentrics,

15 serves as the actuating'means for the pump which I havespecific'ally described, Manual means 78 is provided for enablinga'few shots of lubricant to be provided at, a more rapid rate, if, desired, or even when themotor is stopped. The; shaft l'l is'rotated, in'the form of the inventidii' illustrated in Figs. 5 and'fi, by a ratchet wheel 88 which is secured to it and bya pawl'type driving mechanism generally designated iii. This mechanism includes a plunger 82 reciprocably mounted in a bore 83 provided by aliner mem ber 83' suitably mounted on a cover plate member 84', and having a motive fluid supply connection l branchin'g frcmthe connection 298 shown in Fig. 2. Obviously now, fluid will be admittedto the line 8'5 when tlie main motor piston nears the top of itsworkingstroltafand will be vented from the connection 85 soon after.

rier carries av projection .94 which serves as an anti-coasting device, ni'oving'in' betweena pair of teeth on the ratchet wheel 80 a s the latter turns, and acting to .preventsp'innin'g of. ratchet wheel. It will benoted that thejpawi is carried at v nearer the ratchet wheel, and the anti-coasting projection 84 at the other side of the pawl carr1er.

ating mechanism will ,be obvious from what has been said. Each time the motor jpiston'i'l reciprocates the plunger 82'. will effect a rotation, through an angle corresponding to a single ratch et tooth, of the drive shaft, I'L' Since there are in the construction shown twenty-three teeth on the ratchet so, the drive shaitll will .be rotated once in each tivejnty-threereciprocations ofthe piston .i'L'whicliwould ts the'equivalent The pawl carrier 81 isnorrnally held in the side of the pawll carrier 82' The modeof operation of this lubricator actu Qperhaps of once a minute, or once every minute v motor under normalconditions. The quantity of and a half, or so,'o f operation of.the pumping liquid displaced through the connection 15 will depend, of course, on the displacement of the pump plunger 68.

The connection 15 leads to a lubricant injector device HM! mounted on the side wall of the cylinder I5 in a position more or less midway between the ends of the cylinder, as illustrated in the drawings, but which may obviously be varied portion I02 which communicates through a bore H33 in a connecting device EM; with an opening M5 in the cylinder wall. The bore 103 is reduced as at H35 at its end nearest the cylinder bore in order to provide increased velocities of flow. The bore Hi3 communicates with a reduced space Hi2 substantially above the bottom of the latter. This enables a storage of a certain amount of lllblb cant in the chamber H32 which would not flow by gravity through the connection HMa result which is augmented by the reduced size of the opening Hit-end accordingly while some lubricant may run down the adjacent wall of the cylinder bore 56, in'large part it will be discharged at substantial velocity with outrushing air or other motive fluid, as hereinafter described.

Now the mode of operation of the device as a whole may be readily followed. The motor piston l'l will reciprocate in the manner above described. Once every minute or so of operation of the motor there will occur a stroke of the lubricant-pump plunger 68. Duringa substan tial part of each rotation of the shaft 11, no

lubricant will be pumped through the connection However, during a number of main pumpmotor strokes intervening the times when no lubricant pumping is taking place, there will be a gradual pumping of lubricant; for the working stroke of the plunger68 will endure throughout a number of strokes of the working piston H.

The lubricant gradually delivered through the connection 15 to the chamber HJI will enter the reduced chamber I02 and will be blown from that chamber'periodically through the connection H33 as follows: On each up-stroke of the motor piston IT, as the piston passes above the opening H15, full cylinder working pressure will pass through opening I06, passage I03 and enter chamber Hll, I02. When release occurs, there will be a return to the cylinder of some of this pressure fluid, entraining with it a certain quantity of lubricant, but there will still remain a quite substantial pressure in the chamber IBI,

582 at the moment that the piston H, having reversed its direction of movement, passes downward past the port I85 and places the port H36 in communication with the vented end of the cylinder bore l5. Thiswill involve the creation of a much more effective discharge of pressure from the chamber EDI, for the difference in pressure, in terms of compressions, between the chamber and the vented end of the cylinder bore is much higher than the diiference in pressure, in terms of compressions, when release occurred. Accordingly, the air will rush from the chamber Nil, 32 and through the passage I03, andwill entrain a, small. quantity of lubricant and carryit out in the form virtually of a mist into the eliminated.

renew cylinder bore, and atsuch a velocity that it will reach the walls of the cylinder very efiectually.

be, when lubricant is available within the chamber I62, at least one spraying of a small quantity of. lubricant into the cylinder bore. It will be evidentthat this lubricant will be most advantageously applied. It will be evident that the.

quantity may be made adequate without waste.

Itwill be evident that the pumping device employed is most effectually operated by its coordinated relation with the main pumping.

motor. It'will be evident that the lubricant will be kept in a free-flowing state due to the heat transferred thereto from the valve chest. It will be clear that'thelubricator drive will be certain and definite and not subject to any substantialpossibility of derangement, and that the risk of coasting of the lubricator drive is completely In Figs. 7, and 8 I have shown a modified form of lubricator drive in which a plunger guide H3 is arranged withinthe space 66 at the oppositeside of a' pawl carrierti" from the plunger bore 83. A plunger H! is guided within the plunger guide Ill] and is normally pressed by a spring H2 housed therein against the lower surface'of the pawl carrier 3'1 whose downward movement about its pivot 83 is limited by engagement with the upper end of the plunger guide H9. The bore of the plunger guide H communicates at its lower end through the opening H4 with a lubricant space 66 near the bottom of the latter, and a small check valved 'of the apparatus is effected. It may be noted that by selecting the dimension of the check valve controlled opening and of the opening H4, a very exactly regulated cushion action can be secured.

The mode of operation of this form of the invention need not be described in detail in view of the adequate explanation of the structure shown in Figs. 5 and 6, irom which the structure of Fig. '7 differs primarily in the modified form of device for cushioning the downward movement of the latter. It may be noted that in both forms, downward movement of the pawl carrier is'positively limited by an abutment surfa ce carried by dependingweb means 84 carthe rubbing surfaces in a well distributed form,

rather than by dripping or dribbling down one side of a cylinder wall and thereby leaving the lubrication of the far side thereof very haphazard.

While there are in this application specifically described two forms which this invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that these forms are shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be further modified and embodied invarious other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

Letters Patent is: I

1. In a lubricator drive, a cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, a driving ratchet wheelfa pivoted pawl carrier movable by said piston, a

, pawl carried thereby and engaging said ratchet wheel, yielding means for continuously holding said pawl barrier against said piston, and an anti-coasting element moving with said pawl carrier into engagement with said ratchet wheel as said pawl carrier makes its working movement.

2. In a lubricator drive, a cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, a driving ratchet wheel, a

pivoted pawl carrier movable by said piston, a pawl carried thereby and engaging said ratchet wheel, and a lubricant dashpot' retarding the working movements of said pawl carrier.

3. In a lubricator drive, a cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, a driving ratchet wheel, a pivoted pawl carrier movable by said piston, a pawl carried thereby and engaging said ratchet wheel, and means acting in aline parallel to the line of travel of said piston and between the latter line and the pawl carrier pivot for restoring said pivotedpawl carrier to position for actuation by said piston.

wheel, and means including a plunger relatively movable with respect to said piston and acting in a line parallel to the travel of said piston for restoring said'pivoted pawl carrier to position for actuation by said piston.

5. In a lubricator drive, a cylinder, a piston reciprocable therein, a driving ratchet wheel, a

pivoted pawl carrier movable by said piston to' drive said ratchet wheel, a pawl carried thereby and engaging said ratchet wheel, and means including a plunger relatively movable with respect to said piston and arranged at the opposite side of said pawl carrier from said piston and acting in a line parallel to the travel of said piston for pivoted pawl carrier movable by said piston about a point at the end of said pawl carrier farthest from said ratchet wheel, means for limiting the working movement of said pawl carrier, a pawl carried by said pawl carrier. at the sidethereof carrier to position for actuation by said piston.

I nearer said ratchet wheel, and an anti-coasting device carried by said pawl carrier at the other side of the latter for precluding spinning of said ratchet wheel.

7. In a lubricator drive, a ratchet wheel, a pawl carrier swingable about an axis parallel to the axis of said ratchet wheel and having a free end, a pawl carried adjacent the free end of said carrier, a plunger yieldingly pressed longitudinally of said carrier for maintaining said pawl in cooperative relation to said ratchet wheel, a guide submerged in the lubricant to be pumped and disposed transversely to the length of said carrier and adapted to be engaged by said carrier to limit movement' oi'the latter in a ratchetactuating direction, a spring pressed plunger in said guide for moving said carrier in a return direction, and a cylinder and piston device for actuating said carrier in a ratchet-turning direction, said cylinder and piston device actingon said carrier adjacent the free end of the latter.

8. In a lubricator drive, a ratchet wheel, a pawl carrier swingable about an axis parallel to the axis of said ratchetwheel and having a free end, a pawl carried adjacent the free end of said carrier, a plunger yieldingly pressed longitudinally of said carrier for maintaining said pawl in 00- operative relation to said ratchet wheel, a guide submerged in the lubricant to be pumped and disposed transversely to the length of said carrier and adapted to be engaged by said carrier to limit movement of the latter in a ratchet-actuat I ing direction, a spring pressed plunger in said guide for moving said carrier in a return direction, means carried by said guide and by said plunger respectively for regulating the rates of opposite movement of'said plunger, and a cylinder and piston device for actuating said carrier in a ratchet-turning direction, said cylinder and piston device acting on said carrier adjacent the free end of the latter.

9. In a lubricator drive, a ratchet wheel, a pawl carrier swingable about an axis parallel to the axis of said ratchet wheel and having a free end,

a pawl carried adjacent the free end of said carrier, a plunger yieldingly pressed longitudinally of said carrier for maintaining said pawl in cooperative relation to said ratchet wheel, a cylin der and piston device for actuating said carrier in a ratchet-turning direction, said cylinder and piston device acting on said carrier adjacent the free end of the latter, and means acting ina line parallel to the line of operation of said cylin der and piston device for restoring said pawl WADE H. WINEMAN, 

